More animals and plants than ever before are on the brink of extinction or are threatened with catastrophic population crashes, a survey of endangered species shows.

One in four of the world’s mammal species, one in eight bird species, a third of amphibians’ and more than two thirds of those plant species that have been assessed are under threat of extinction.

The findings were described as “a wake-up” call and have prompted a demand for action to protect wildlife amid warnings that the rate at which they are being lost is increasing.

The total number of animal and plant species categorised as under threat on the World Conservation Union’s (IUCN) Red List for 2007 is 16,306, an increase of 188 on last year.

The number that have died out rose by one with the woolly-stalked begonia plant, which was last seen in 1898, being declared officially extinct.

Its demise increased the number of extinct species to 785 with a further 65 surviving only because they are being kept in captivity or under cultivation.

The survival prospects of a further 13 worsened so dramatically last year that they have had their threat rating increased.

Among those moving from endangered to critically endangered, the highest threat level before extinction, were western gorillas, the Asian gharial and a rattlesnake. They are joined by the Galapagos albatross, the St Helena plover and a bustard, the Bengal Florican. Yangtze river dolphins were declared critically endangered (possibly extinct) and the Spix’s macaw was categorised as critically endangered (possibly extinct in the wild).

Those moving up to endangered include a breed of antelope known as the Abbott’s Duiker, the tiny Speke’s gazelle found in the Horn of Africa, the redbreasted goose from the Arctic and the Egyptian vulture, as well as a fish of the Cichlidae family, the Lowveld largemouth.

Several dozen species had their classifications revised because of corrected or new information, as opposed to “genuine changes” occurring in their numbers. Only one species, the echo parakeet has been downgraded following an increase in its population. It was among the world’s rarest parrots but conservation work has led to its status being revised from critically endangered to endangered.

Corals were included on the Red List for the first time, with two types considered to be critically endangered and one possibly extinct.

Two species of marine animal found in Britain’s coastal waters, the angular rough shark and the common guitar-fish, were added to the Red List, the first as vulnerable and the second as endangered.

Julia Marton-Lefèvre, director-general of the IUCN, said: “The rate of bio-diversity loss is increasing and we need to act now to significantly reduce it and stave off this global extinction crisis.”

Explore World News

• World Agenda

• Iraq News

• US & Americas News

• Europe News

• Middle East News

• Asia News

• Africa News

• Ireland News

Times Recommends

• Thousands of Tamils dying in 'welfare camp'
• Jackson 'rebuilt his nose before he died'
• Renewed Iran protests crushed by militia